The United States, through U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)’s Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP), donated eight Hamilton-T1 ventilators to Chile, valued at $133,000 in total, which will go to the Hanga Roa Hospital in Rapa Nui, the Padre Hurtado Hospital in San Ramón commune, the Talagante Hospital in the commune of the same name, and the Medical Emergency Service (SAMU in Spanish), in the Metropolitan Area.
During a ceremony held on February 12 in Santiago, Richard Glenn, chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Chile, presented the donation to Chilean Minister of Health Enrique Paris and Chilean Undersecretary of Assistance Networks Alberto Dougnac.
The head of the U.S. diplomatic mission said that this donation was part of the U.S. contribution to Chile to support COVID-19 response efforts. To date, the U.S. government has donated about $1.8 million to Chile through different humanitarian initiatives, including masks, two field hospitals, and other items for personal protection and hygiene. This help complements the significant contributions that many U.S. companies have made to support vulnerable communities, and which are part, as a whole, of the joint efforts around the motto “All-of-America effort to support Chile”.
The eight ventilators are the Hamilton-T1 model, an intelligent ventilation system easy to transport in ambulances, helicopters, and airplanes, with more than nine hours of battery life. In addition, they have a non-invasive ventilation mode, with integrated high-flow oxygen therapy, and can be used with adult, pediatric, and neonatal patients.
This donation was made possible through SOUTHCOM’s assistance programs, which help respond to natural disasters by providing funds for specific projects.